GREEN PEA & HAM HOCK SOUP

Vibrant green, velvety texture, the aroma of this soup fills the kitchen and once served will bring a smile to everyone’s face. This soup is happiness in a bowl. Although the initial cooking time for the stock takes 2-3 hours, the recipe is easy and requires little effort in the kitchen, so give it a go and be amazed at the beautiful subtle flavours this soup brings to the palette. Healthy, satisfying, economical, what more could you want. This soup is great for lunches the next day, freezes well and is a winner with the kids.

Cooks note: mise en place: a French cooking term, meaning, have everything in its place. This helps to keep an organised kitchen and an unflustered cook. Preparing all ingredients first, taking out the equipment you need and reading through a recipe will make cooking relaxing and fun as it should be. Put on some music, try and keep the bench space tidy and there will be less cleaning up at the end.

Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients: prepare all ingredients first

2 ham hocks, nitrate free

1 brown onion, peeled and finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

2 leeks, washed, cleaned and finely sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

750 mls chicken stock

1 litre water

4 cream potatoes peeled

750gms frozen baby peas

Topping for soup

250gms mushrooms, stalks removed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

200gms Sour cream to serve

Salt and pepper to taste

To make:

Heat olive oil to a medium temperature in a soup stock pot or large saucepan.

Sauté the leeks, onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes then add hocks, water, chicken stock and oregano to stockpot and simmer for 90 minutes.

Cut prepared potatoes in half and add to the hock mix for 30 more minutes.

Remove the hocks from the soup and cool slightly so that you can handle them.

Cut the meat off the hocks, discarding the rest and chop the meat up, set aside.

Add peas to the soup pot with the potatoes, return to a simmer and just cook through. This will take about 5 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove soup from stove top and blend smooth with a stick mixer.

Return diced hock meat to the pot.

For the finish

Melt the butter with oil in a heavy based frypan and brown the mushrooms to a caramel colour.